The dust and glitter have settled, the tents are coming down, and we’re putting a bow on GearFest 2017. To the 14,200 musicians, performers and engineers that came out, thanks for making this year’s event the biggest and best in GearFest history. To those of you that had to work, forgot about it, or were trapped under something heavy, we missed you and look forward to seeing you next year. Whether you made it or not, it’s always cool to look back and remember what made GearFest 2017 so special. Here, in no particular order, are a few of our favorite memories from the weekend.
Terry Bozzio’s drum kit arrives.
When we were planning GearFest, the folks at DW Drums told us that we could display one of Terry Bozzio’s mega drum sets. We knew that Terry calls his drum set “the world’s largest functional drum set.” We knew it was going to be big. But seeing it in person was an almost spiritual experience.
Specially trained DW drum techs showed up early on Thursday and began to assemble the monster drum set. Assembly took most of the day, attracting admiring Sweetwater customers and more than a few Sweetwater employees (who shall remain nameless). Fortunately, a time lapse camera was there to capture the whole process.
https://www.facebook.com/sweetwater/videos/10155576093008746/
Rhonda Smith’s Workshop Jam Session.
Rhonda Smith knows a thing or two about bass guitars. In fact, she is considered one of the best bass guitarists in the world, and has toured with Jeff Beck, Chaka Khan and many more. That’s why PRS Guitars brought Rhonda in to give a workshop on bass playing techniques and achieving her signature tones. That would’ve been enough.
But a special student showed up for the workshop – none other than the great Lil’ John Roberts, who made a name for himself as the drummer for Janet and Michael Jackson and a slew of great acts. The workshop now had a world-famous bassist and drummer, all they would need is a good guitarist, and…
In no time at all, PRS guitar tech Bryan Ewald joined Rhonda and Lil’ John on stage, and the fun began. For the next 45 minutes, workshop attendees were treated to an impromptu jam session. What started as a bass guitar workshop quickly became the experience of a lifetime.
Meanwhile, in another part of the building, ace guitarists Robben Ford and Andy Timmons started an impromptu session of their own. This one happened backstage, and only a lucky few were able to see it live. However, Sweetwater’s omnipresent video crew had a front row seat.
https://www.facebook.com/sweetwater/videos/10155578595113746/
Dweezil Zappa and Eric Johnson take the stage.
Both days of GearFest were capped off with free live performances in Sweetwater’s outdoor venue. On Friday night, Dweezil Zappa took the stage along with the Sweetwater All-Stars. In a moving tribute to his father, Dweezil played the Frank Zappa classic “Black Napkins.”
https://www.facebook.com/sweetwater/videos/10155579247743746/
On Saturday night, Eric Johnson closed out GearFest with an electrifying performance – thanks to our friends at Fender. The crowd erupted when they heard the first notes of Eric’s iconic “Cliffs of Dover.”
https://www.facebook.com/sweetwater/photos/a.10155581467053746.1073741874.37168748745/10155582848688746/?type=3
Behringer brings something new.
On Saturday, visitors to the Behringer booth were surprised to see the new Behringer D analog synth module on display. This little wonder packs three punchy oscillators, a classic 24dB/octave voltage-controlled filter with resonance, envelopes, LFO, portamento, and more into a compact Eurorack compatible size.
While the Behringer D won’t hit the streets until September 2017, Sweetwater is taking pre-orders now. Watch for a future article when we put the Behringer D up against Roland’s SE-02.
GearFest by the Numbers
So what does it take to pull off the biggest show in GearFest history? Here’s a few behind the scenes numbers to give you an idea:
- With the help of Mutton Rental, Sweetwater setup 100,000 square feet of tent space.
- GearFest 2017 featured 500 of the music industry’s top vendors.
- Sweetwater’s Downbeat Diner crew served up more than 2,000 hamburgers, 450 pounds of pulled pork and a staggering 900 pounds of beer-battered onion rings.
- Thanks to D’Addario, Sweetwater Guitar techs restrung 635 guitars in two days. That’s 40 guitars per hour and almost 1.6 miles of guitar string.
- Courtesy cart drivers logged roughly 250 miles shuttling GearFesters to and from their cars.
- Sweetwater’s Signage Department created and installed 243 new wayfinding and promotional signs for GearFest 2017.
- Sweetwater photographers racked up 302.29GB worth of photos, attempting to capture every moment of GearFest.
- GearFesters and Sweetwater crew members toughed out 1.76 inches of rain in the Friday morning monsoon.
*BONUS
Enjoy our video recap of GearFest 2017. We can’t wait to see you at #GearFest 2018!
